INDIANAPOLIS – The City-County Council this week unanimously passed two finance ordinances that will allocate $80 million for local-level investments in infrastructure, public safety and quality of life.
Of that amount, $3 million will go toward demolishing longtime nuisance properties in the city, including some of the buildings in the perennially problematic Town and Terrace complex near 42nd Place.and And Post Road.
“This area has really been a hub of a lot of activity,” said Allyn Shonce, senior police adviser in Mayor Hogsett’s office. “Whether it’s drug trafficking or violence, there’s really a lot of activity going on here and it can’t be tolerated. People who live in Town and Terrace just want a safe place to live. This is not the residents’ fault. We just want to make sure they have a safe place to live.”
Demolition of the aging, crime-ridden complex, where at least seven homicides have occurred in the past five years, is due to begin in April 2023.
Demolition work has been on hold for nearly a decade as part of a drawn-out legal battle.
“This new funding will allow the City to improve our road and pedestrian infrastructure, invest in new and better facilities for our public safety professionals, and address nuisance issues like blighted buildings – some of the top priorities for our region,” said Mayor Joe Hogsett. “I especially want to thank the members of the City-County Council. Their collaboration allows us to continue to make important investments that will have a positive impact on our community.”
Now that that’s resolved, the city has said it will demolish all the buildings there, and the latest funding will help make that happen.
“It’s been a difficult and much more complicated process,” Shonce said, “and part of the reason it’s been able to really deteriorate in the way that it has is because it’s privately owned, which makes things that much more complicated for the city from an acquisition standpoint.”
FOX59/CBS4 crews visited Town and Terrace to talk to people who live there.
Several people who did not want to go on camera said they were happy to see the eyesore demolished.
Others, like Louis Pace, said they understand why the city wants to demolish the building but are concerned the same issues will continue to plague the building in the future.
“We may be able to get rid of crime here, but it’s going to continue next door and downstairs,” Pace said. “Crime doesn’t end here. Whatever you put here, it’s just going to come back.”
The city said it will seek public input on what will ultimately be placed there once demolition work is complete.
“It’s not going to be something like Town and Terrace, it’s going to be something different, but whatever gets built here, I don’t think it’s going to be a really good store,” Pace said.
The city hopes to acquire all of the units in Town and Terrace by late 2024 or early 2025, and demolish them all by 2025.
Notable investments funded through Propositions 133 and 174 include:
• $23 million to support capital infrastructure projects.
• $5.2 million for construction of a new solid waste garage for Indy DPW
• $2 million to design a new headquarters for IMPD’s North District.
• $6 million for construction of IFD Station 32 at 6355 North College Avenue and IFD Station 20 at 1330 N. Emerson Avenue.
• $500,000 for pedestrian improvements to intersections near schools. Improvements could include features such as crosswalks, bump-outs, ADA ramps, signals, signs and markings.
• $1 million to improve pedestrian lighting in school zones.
• $3 million to demolish long-standing nuisance properties, including some buildings in Town and Terrace.
“The unanimous passage of these finance ordinances is a testament to our shared commitment to improving the quality of life for our neighborhoods across all 25 districts,” City-County Council Chairman Vop Osili said. “These investments will not only improve infrastructure and public safety, but they will also help create more vibrant and resilient communities.”
Propositions 133 and 174 were discussed in council committees throughout May before passing unanimously on Monday, June 3. Footage of Monday’s meeting and council committee meeting can be viewed on the Channel 16 page on Indy.gov.
